foote



5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

'I'. M. POOTE. Printiqg Telegraph pparatus Patented Oct.

* 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. T. M. POOTB. Printing Telegraph Apparatus.

No. 233,407. Patented Oct. 19,1880.

Invenor:

Theodore M-Ee gil?.

N.FETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3. T. M. FOUTE.

N.FETERS, PHOT-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4. rIMM. FOUTE.

Printing Telegraph Apparatus.

No.. 233,407. Patented Oct. 19,1880..

Theodorei N. PETERS, PMDTOALITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. n. C.

l 5 Sheets-Sheet 5. T. M'. FOOTE. Printing Telegraph Apparatus.

Patented Ocr. 19, 18810.

N. PETERS. PHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C,

Nitrate @raras Farrar trice.

THEODOREM. FOOTE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE H. G. WHITNEY, OF SAME PLAGE.

PRlNTlNG-TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,407, dated October 19, 1880.

Application ruta January 2o, leso.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ti-inononn M. FoorE, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Brooklyn, inthe county ot' Kings, State ofNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Printing-Telegraph Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of printing-telegraph instruments in which a typero wheel is driven by a continuously -applied power, and is given a step-by-step motion by means of an escapement operated by an eleotro-magnet, and in which the impression and paper-movin g devices are controlled by electromagnetism. lts object is to produce telegraphically a printed record in transverse parallel lines upon a strip of paper.

It consists, first, in the combination, with a rotary type-wheel, of devices operated by an' zo electro-magnet for feeding a strip of paper longitudinally athwart the periphery of said wheel, devices operated by an electro-magnet for moving said strip ofpaper laterally to permit transverse lines to be printed thereon, and mechz 5 anism operated by an electro'inagnet for bringing the type-wheel and paper in contact to produce a printed 'iiecord, second, in the combin ation of a stepvby-step type-wheel controlled by electro-magnetism, a printing-pad having 3o a movement toward and laterally by said wheel and operated by an electromagnet in a mainline circuit, mechanism controlled by an electro-magnet for returning the printing-pad to its starting-point when desired, and devices 3 5 for feeding the paper longitudinally to receive a new line; third, in the combination, with a type-wheel and an impression pad or roller carrying a strip of paper laterally to receive impressions from said wheel and back to a 4o starting-point, of devices controlled by electromagnetisui for operating said pad or roller, and mechanism controlled by an electro-magnet for bringing said wheel to its initial point or unison coincidently with the return of said pad or Yroller to its startingpoint; fourth, in the combination, with a step-by-step typewheel driven by continuously-applied power in one direction, and having an escapement- Wheel mounted upon its shaft and controlled 5o by a pallet operated by electro-magnetism,

and a clutch for detachably securing said escapement-wheel to said shaft, of devices controlled by an electro-magnet for operatin g said clutch for disconnecting said escapement-wheel temporarily from said typewheel shaft, to permit said shaft and type-wheel to rotate independently of the escapement, for the purpose of bringing said type-wheel to its initial or unison point by a free continuation of its movement in the same direction as its step- 6o by-step travel, as will be fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front perspective view of my improved instrument. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the 65 same. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the instrument with its back plate removed to expose the interior. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line .r m of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation viewed from the left. Figs. Gand 7 are detached per- 7c spective views of the escapement and unison devices. Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrams of circuits suitable for operating the instrument.

The letters A A designate the front and back plates, which support the working parts of the apparatus, and B is the type-wheel, mounted in front of the front plate upon the projecting end of a shaft, O, journaled in said plates. This shaft has Xed to its rear end, near the back plate, a pinion, c, meshing with 8o a gear-wheel, a, which may be rotated by a cord and weight applied to its shaft, or may receive rotary motion by connection with any suitable continuous motor, so that it will eX- ert a constant force upon the type-Wheel shaft, 8 5 the movement of which is controlled by an cscapement consisting ot the toothed escapewheel D, carried by a sleeve mounted upon said shaft, and a pallet, D', fixed to an arbor,

d, and having an upwardlyprojecting arm, d', 9o carrying a polarized armature, E, between the poles of two electromagn ets, F F, in the same circuit, and arranged to alternately attract and repel said armature by reversals of an electric current through their coils in a wellknown 95 manner. The upper end of the arm d plays between adjusting-screws d, which limit the extent ot' its vibration.

The escape-wheel D has, in addition to its peripheral teeth, a set of crown teeth or pins, roo

e, projecting ltoward the front plate, A, and from the typewheel shaft projects a pin, h, which has a lateral projection at its outer end, which engages with the crown pins or teeth c of the escape-wheel when said wheel is forced toward it by the action of a spiral spring, f, coiled around the type-wheel shaft an d pressing against the rear end of the sleeve which carries said escape-wheel. The pin h thus serves to lock the escape-wheel to the type-wheel shaft, from which it may be disconnected to permit said shaft to rotate independently at the proper time by means to be hereinafter described.

The letter I designates theimpression-roller, mounted in a frame,1, through the inner ends of the end bars of which passes a guide-rod, 1'., which is supported horizontallyinfront of the front plate, A, by means of studs t', and said frame slides on said rod to carry the roller longitudinally under the type-wheel in a direction parallel with the horizontal diameter of the latter. From the rear longitudinal bar of the frame I a horizontal rack-bar, I, projects downward, and its teeth mesh with those ofa spur-wheel, 7c, which is fixed upon the forward projecting end of a shaft, K, journaled in the supporting-plates, and having a ratchet-wheel, lc, fixed upon it just inside the front plate, A. Said shaft K has also fixed upon it, near its rear end, an arm, K', tothe outer end of which is attached a cord having a weight, 7c, attached to its other end, said cord lying in a groove i said arm and passing around its inner end when the arm is turned to the left, so that the weight and cord will always have a tendency to rotate the shaft K to the right, the words left7 and right being used with respect to a front view ofthe apparatus.

Into the teeth of the ratchet-wheel lo takes an impelling-pawl, L, which is pivoted to the upperend ot' an arm, l, projecting from an arbor, Z, journaled in the supportinglplates, and having fixed upon it also a lever, m', carrying an armature, m, arranged in front of the poles of an electro-magnet, M, so as to be attracted by said poles, and is retracted therefrom by a spring in the usual manner, and its throw is regulated by an adjustable stop, l. A suitable spring keeps the pawl L in contact with the ratchetwheel, and a retaining hooked pawl, L', kept in contact with said ratchet- Wheel also by a spring, prevents it from moving backward or to the right. From the end of impelling-pawl L a pin, e', projects rearwardly, and the retaining-pawl L carries a n similar pin, e", for a purpose which will be municates motion through shaft K to the spurwheel 7c in front of the front plate, and said wheel, meshing with the rack I, causes the impression-roller frame to travel on its guidebar t' and move the impression-roller under the type-wheel. The movement of ratchet-wheel 7c one tooth causes the roller to be moved a proper distance to place the paper in position to receive the impression of a new letter from the type, and the mechanism for producing the impression will be now described.

From near the top of the arm Z a bent arm, a, projects rearwardly, and is benttoward the right, its inner end being pivoted to one arm of a bell-crank lever, n', pivoted to a stud projecting from the rear side of the front plate, and having its other arm extended to the right in such position that when moved toward the front plate it will strike the end of pin n, which extends through an opening in said plate from an arm, N, which is tixed upon the end of a horizontal rock-shaft, N',journaled in suitable bearings upon the front of the front plate, and having fixed to it two upwardlyextending arms, N3, connected at their tops by a horizontal bar, N. The tops of the arms N3 rest normally against the front plate, and the bar N lies in rear of and forms a guide for a roller or wheel,t'2, mounted nponthe end of a study?, which depends from the roller-frame I in rear of the rack. Now, when the armature mis attracted by the magnet M, the arm Z is carried to the right, and the arm of the bellcrank lever n', which lies alongside the inner surface of the front plate, strikes the pin n, th rowing the arm Noutward, causing the rock-shaft N to throw outward the bar N, which, forcing outward also the stud t3, causes the frame I to swing upward and press the impression roller I against the periphery of the type-wheel. The teeth of the rack I and spunwheel k are of such length that they will not be disengaged by this movement of fraie I.

Immediately the magnet M ceasesfto act on its armature the spring retracts it, and all t-he parts move in the reverse direction to that just described, the roller I falls away from the type-wheel, and the impelling-pawl L moves the ratchet k one tooth, thus, as before explained, causing the impression-roller to be moved to the left a sufficient distance to carry its paper to a proper point to receive the next impression.

As the shaft K is turned by the action of the impelling-pawl the arm K is carried to the left, taking up the cord and raising weight la. Now, when the impression roller has moved toward the left a proper distance to have a line completed transversely upon the paper it carries, or when otherwise it is desired to return the roller to its starting-point, (which is at the limit of its movement to the right,) and to feed the paper longitudinally, in order to begin a new line, this effect is produced by the followingdescribed devices The letter O indicates a lifting-lever, one end of which extends under the pins e' and e", projecting from the pawls L and L', and said lever curves upward and is irmly fixed to the arbor p, which has also fixed to it the lever p', carrying an armature, P', of an electromagnet, P; Said lever is also extended to the right past the magnet P, and from its righthand end an arm, q, extends laterally through a slot, q', in the front plate, A. Said arm q carries a head, r, to which is pivoted a block, r', which can swing to the right against the action of a spring, r", and forward from said block extends a plate, R.

The right-hand journal of the impressionroller I projects outward beyond the end bar of the frame I', and has rmly fixed upon it a ratchet-wheel, S, while loosely upon said projectingjournal, outside oftheratchet-wheel, is fulcrumed a bell-crank lever, T, the inner arm of which has pivoted to it a pawl, t,which takes into the teeth of the said ratchet-wheel, and to the other arm is fixed a spring, t', which bears upon said pawl and keeps it in engagement with the ratchet-teeth. arm ofthe bell-crank lever a pin, a, projects to the right, andis of such length as to extend across the path of the plateR when the frame I' is at its starting-point, or at the limit ot' its movement to the right.

The strip ot' paper to be printed upon passes outward over the roller I and under the spri n gs c c, which keep it close upon said roller. The paper strip is preferably drawn from a reel located at such distance below the instrument that the movement of frame I' longitudinally will not interfere with the passage ot' said strip y over the roller in a proper manner.

I have not shown the reel in the drawings, as its proper yarrangement will be readily understood without.

When, now, the frame I' and roiler I have been moved as far as desired to the left a current of electricity is passed through the coils of magnet P, and said magnet attracts its armature P', and the rocking of the arbor p in consequence causes the left or inner end of the lifting-lever O to rise, strike the pins c' and e", and lift the pawls L and L' out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel lc', which being thus released, the action of the weight 7c" and its cord upon the arm K' causes the shaft K to turn rapidly to the right, and the spur-wheel 7c, acting upon the rack I", carries the frame I' back to its starting-point, the pin u striking the plate R and forcing it to the right. When the current ceases to pass, the armature is retracted by its spring inthe ordinary man ner, the innerend of the lever O falls, the outer end rises,llifting the plate R away from the pin u, when the spring r forces said plate back to left and directly over said` crank lever T and causing the pawl t to move y From the outer` the ratchet-wheel S one tooth, giving the roller I a partial rotation, which carries the paper strip outward longitudinally a proper distance Vto receive anew line ot' printing.

It will be obvious that by repeating the impulses through the magnet P the paper may be fed as much as desired to separate the matter to be printed from that already printed.

The inipression-roller may be covered with an elastic material in the ordinary manner, and the surface of the types on the type-wheel is concave to correspond to the convexity of the roller, so that the impression will be uniform upon the types. The surface ofthe inkroller B' should be convex to correspond with the type-wheel.

Itwill be understood that several instruments ofthe kind which I am now describing may be used in the same system of circuits, and it is, of course, necessary that the typewheels of all such instruments shall be kept in coincidence or unison-that is, that all of the type-wheels shall print the same letter at the same time; and in order to practically maintain this relation of the several instruments, it has been found sudicient to provide means whereby their type-wheels may all be brought to acertain point ot' coincidence at short intervals.

In my present instrument I have made provision for bringing the type-wheel of each instrument to its initial point, usuallly a dot or period before letter A, cach time the impression-roller is returned to its starting-point, and this is accomplished by mechanism which I will now describe.

Upon the type-wheel shaft is mounted a sleeve, W, having a limited longitudinal movement upon said shaft, but prevented from turning thereon by the pin h, which, as heretofore described, is iixed in said shaft and passes through a slot-,10. The endwise movement of the sleeve toward the front plate is limited by a iixed collar, w', on the type-wheel shaft, and in the opposite direction by means of the end wall of the slot w; but this movement is such that when the sleeve is moved rearwardly itv can force the escape-wheel I) also rearwardly against the pressure of spring f and disengage the crown-pins e from the pin h.

IOO

IOR

IIO

Upon the sleeve W is fixed a disk, X, having in its periphery a lateral V-shaped indentation, x', the rear wall of which inclines upwardly and rearwardly.

To the inner surface of the front plate, A, is fixed a bracket, Y, in which is journaled a vertical shaft, Y', to the projecting lower end of which is iixed an arm, Y", from the end of which a pin, y, extends through a slot, y', in the front plate. To the top of shaft Y' is se cured an arm, Z, the front portion, Z', of which is hinged to swing upward against a spring, z', but is prevented from moving downward, and from said hinged portion a pin, z, projects rearwardly toward the disk X.

From the rear bar of the `:frame I' a pin, I3,

projects toward the front plate, and extends beyond the end and to the left of pin y, which stands in the path of said pin I3 when the latter moves toward the right.

When the frame l is retracted to its starting-point, as heretofore explained, at the latter part of its movement the pin I3 strikes the pin y, causing it and the arms Y and Z of the shaft Y to swing` rearwardly and the pin z to strike the disk X, forcing the sleeve W against the escape-wheel, and thus moving said wheel also rearwardly u ntil the crownpins e become disengaged from the pin h. The escape-wheel being thus unlocked from the type-Wheel shaft, said shaft isv carried rapidly around by the motive-wheel (t in the direction of the arrow, carrying the sleeve W and disk X with `it, of course, until the indentation x comes to the pin z, when said pin slips into this indentation, permitting the spring f to force the escape-wheel forward until its crown-pins c become again engaged with the pin h. The escapement-wheel being held by its pallet, the type-wheel shaft then ceases to revolve, and the type-wheel stands at its initial or starting point, and all the i11- struments in the circuit are in coincidence. The first forward movement now given to the escapewheel causes the pin z to ride up the inclined wall of the indentation x (the hinged part Zl of the arm Z permitting this movement) and rest temporarily upon the periphery of the disk X until the frame I', in its progress to the left, carries its pin I3 away from the pin y, and permits the-arms Y and Z to assume their normal positions when the pin z is removed from contact with disk X.

The several armature-levers may be provided with suitable retracting-spriugs, adjustments, and stops.

rIhe circuits by which the instrument as now described is operated are illustrated by the diagram, Fig. 8, and it will be understood that they are manipulated by means of a suitable transmitting-instrument. The line being` in readiness, a current is rapidly reversed over the line-wire l0, through magnets F F', causing a vibratory movement ot' the pallet, permitting a step-by-step movement of the escape-wheel until the proper letter of the typewheel is brought adjacent to the printingroller, and the circuit is then prolonged in one direction momentarily to permit the magnet M to become sufficient-ly vitalized to attract it-s armature m and operate the impression devices and move the paper laterally to a position to receive another letter, as before eX- plained. Reversed currents are then again sent over the line-wire l() to bring the next desired letter of the type-wheel in proper position, and so on. The pallet not being held by any spring, its armature responds instantaneously to the inliuence ofthe magnets F; but the impulses of the reversed currents are too brief to induce sufficient magnetic power; in the cores of magnet M to attract the armature of said magnet;

hence the necessity of the momentary prolongation of the current in one direction.

When a line of printing is completed across the paper, or when, from any other cause, it is desired to print in a new line, the circuit over line-wire l0 is closed and the circuit over linewire 11 is opened, causing the electro-magnet I? to attract its armature P and operate the mechanism for causing the impression-roller to be returned to its starting-point to feed the paper longitudinally, and to effect the bringing of the type-wheel to its initial or unison point, as before described.

Each transmitting-instrument will be provided with a register or other suitable means for indicating to the operator when a line of printing has been completed by the printinginstruments.

Instead ot' using the circuits j ust described, I may arrange them as shown in the diagram, Fig. 9,in which case,aftertherapidly-reversed currents over line-wire l() and magnets F have brought the type-wheel to proper position, the current is broken on said line-wire and immediately opened on lines Il to operate the impression devices. Then, when it is desired to return the impression -roller to its startingpoint, feed the paperlongitudinally, and oper-- ate the unison devices, a prolonged currentin one direction is sent over the wire l0, causing magnet P to attract its armature.

By a simple modilication, which will be obvious to persons familiar with telegraphic printing apparatus, the various other devices besides the escapement may be used in connection with a continuously-rotating type-wheel.

Telegraphic instruments have heretofore been constructed to print transverse parallel lines upon ya strip of longitudinally-fed paper; but in such instruments the type-wheel has moved laterally to effect the transverse arrangement of the lines, while in my instrument the paper is moved transversely as well as fed longitudinally.

That I claim isl. In a telegraphic printing-instrument, the combination, with a rotary type-wheel, of dcvices operated by an lelectro-magnet for feeding a strip of paper longitudinally athwart the periphery of said wheel, devices operated by an electro-magnet for moving said strip of paper laterally to permit transverse lines to be printed thereon, and mechanism operated by an electro-magnet for bringing the type-Wheel and paper in contact to produce aprinted record, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a step-by-step typewheel controlled by electro-magnetism, a printingpad having a movement toward and laterally by said wheel and operated by an electro-magnet in a main-line circuit, mechanism controlled by an electro-magnet for returning' the printing-pad to its starting-point when desired, and devices for feeding the paper into position to receive a new line, substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

IZO

3. The combination, with a type-wheel and an impression pad or roller carrying a strip of paper laterally to receive impressions from said wheel and back to a starting-point, of devices controlled by electro-magnetism for operating said pad or roller and mechanism conrolled by an electro-magnet for bringing said wheel to its initial or unison point coincidently with the return of said pad or rollerto its starting-point, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a step -by-step type-wheel driven by continuously applied power in one direction, and having an escapement-wheel mounted upon its shaft and controlled by apallet operated by electro-magnetism,and a clutch for detachably securing said escapement-wheel to said shaft, of devices controlled by an electro-magnet for operatin g said clutch for disconnecting said escapernent-wheel temporarily from said type-Wheel shaft, to permit said shaft and type-wheel to rotate independently of the escapement for the purpose of bringing said type-wheel to its initial or unison point by a free continuation of its movement in the same direction as its step-by-step travel, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the type-wheel having the escapement-wheel D mounted on its shaft, which is driven.l by continuously-applied power, of the pallet D', the lever of which carries a polarized armature, the magnets F F', for operating said pallet, the electro-magnet M in the same circuit with said magnets, and the devices for moving the paper laterally and giving the impression, operated by said electro-magnet M, substantially as described. v

6. The combination, with the type-wheel having the escape-wheel mounted upon its shaft and controlled by electro-magnetism, the impression-roller frame having the rack l", the shaft K, carrying the toothed Wheel 7,, meshing with said rack, and the ratchet-wheel k', of the retaining-pawl L', the electro-magnet M, operating armature m, lever l, and pawl L, for impelling said ratchet-wheel in one direction, devices for turning said shaft K in the reverse direction, and devices operated by an electro-magnet for releasing the ratchet-wheel from its impelling and retaining pawls, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of the shaft K. operating the paper-carrier on its slide in both directions and having the ratchetwheel k' mounted thereon, the retaining-pawl L', having pin e", the impelling-pawl L, having pin c', operated by electro-magnet M through intermediate devices, and thelifting-lever O, operated by electro-magnet P, for disen gagin g said pawls from the ratchet-wheel, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the impression-roller and its frame, moved longitudinally by shaft K through intermediate devices, the ratchet- Wheel k', retaining pawl L', the iinpellingpawl operated by an electro-magnet, M, the impression devices operated by same niagnet, the lever O, operated by magnet P, to release the ratchet-wheel from its impelling and retaining devices, and the paper-feeding devices, also operated by said lever, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the type-wheel shaft, driven by continuous power and having the pin 7L projecting therefrom, of the escape-wheel D, mounted loosely upon said shaft, provided with the crown pins or teeth c, and controlled by electro-magnetism, the springf, acting to press said Wheel forward toward said pin It, the longitudinally-movable sleeve W, having the slot uf, embracing said pin, and carrying the disk X, having the indentation x', and the shaft Y', carrying jointed arrn Z, provided witb pin z and operated by an electromagnet through intermediate devices, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' T. M. FOTE.

Witnesses:

J AMEs L. NoRRrs, ALBERT H. NoRRIs. 

